House Vote Set on Ensuring Federal Pay

A bill has been introduced in the House and Senate that would ensure payment of federal employees furloughed due to a lack of funding during the government shutdown.

The office of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) told Credit Union Times on Friday that the House will vote on the legislation Saturday. A number of credit unions have pledged to cover direct deposits of their members who work for the federal government, including active military.

Under the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act, federal employees that were “furloughed as a result of any lapse in appropriations which begins on or about October 1, 2013, shall be compensated at their standard rate of compensation, for the period of such lapse in appropriations, as soon as practicable after such lapse in appropriations ends.”

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) sponsored the House version, H.R. 3223, which has 177 co-sponsors. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) sponsored the legislation in the Senate, S. 1567, which has 27 co-sponsors.

“Hard-working federal employees did not cause our fiscal crises nor did they contribute to the legislative gridlock, but once again they are being asked to pay the heaviest price toward a resolution,” Cardin said in a statement.

“Nearly a million federal workers could lose their pay because Congress failed to do its job and keep the government up and running,” Moran said.

“Leaving the question of retroactive pay for furloughed employees, already shouldering much of the burden of sequestration, up to this highly divisive Congress is deeply concerning,” Moran said.